Surface condenser



' r A. J. NOTT SURFACE CONDENSER Filed April 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l 46 55 99 52 :7 47 5/ 6 ,EE' v- E a I E E a 8 l9 E 3' E 3 E a E a E 3 E 3 5 31 1555 3 J 15 I W WITNESSES W .fllbi ?fi%tt BY WP 6 W i ATTORNEYS Qct 6, 1931. A. J. NOTT 1,326,521

SURFACE CONDENSER Filed April :5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR gfib 13055 ATTORNEYS Mir 6.

t ll patented Oct. 6 1931 ATP NT OFFICE'b h sum .1 vo'rrgor' mc moivn, New 031:

7 sURrAoEjcoNnENsER Applicationhled April 3; 1930;1fSeria1No. 441,394.

u mThisinventionrelatesto surface Condensers 1 of thatitype in whichfia' plurality of tubes ex;-

' tend through: a. condensing chamber and communicate with: circulating water boxes located at the oppositeiends 'ofthe condensing chamber through a. pair; of tube sheets,jeach of which defines one'wall of said waterboxes and one of .whichtube sheets is fi'xed While theother is relativelymovable to compensate for longitudinalcontraction and expansion of- Condensers type now-ingcommon 'use possesscertain disadvantages andareopen to as the .steam,"waterycondensate and air con-,

7' the -removed unit. I i

I many objections, notably, if for. any reasonfit becomes necessarytodepairor replace one or ,imore of the tubes, the shell or body, as :well

nections,. must be totally orpartially disconnected rand-dismantled, thereby rendering the lcondenser useless for ya considerable period oftirne w c 11 It is, therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide :a condenser "construction ;by virtue of which the f tubes and" tube sheets constitute a unit which is readily removable from the body of the condenser without disconnecting any of the shell bolts or the steam, water, condensate or air connections, wherebya substitute or spare 1 unit may be readilyinserted within the condenser bodywhile repairs are beingmade on v The invention further aimstoprovide in a condenser ofthistype, tubes which are com-' pletely supportediand'maintained in" align mentgby; the shell of the -condenser without employing exterior supports, thereby adapting' the condenser'for marineas Well as other f :Theinventionfurtheraims to provide in a condenser of the gty'pe'spe'cified,ja packing for A Icompensatin'g forthe'tube expansion, which packing is always in view and sub ect to freuent inspection "and "ready repair without t ,enecessity of'disn antlin the'shellL Q-The invention further aims to provide a condenser 'theconstruction of whichis not unduly complicated, whereby the same may be inexpen'sively produced and maintained in proper working order and in fluidtight. 001 1- 1 gure lis a vertical ,thfesection 11.

ditionto avoid leakage of the cooling water into-the condensing chamber; C With the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following de-. SCIlPtlOIl and accompanying drawings, 'in which there is exhibited one example or embodimentof the invention, while the claims define the actualscopeofthesame.

"ofireference, 5 designat'esthe condenser shell or body formed at its opposite ends with out- Wardly-prO ecting annular flanges 6 and 7 and provided. intermediate its ends with radially projecting tubular bosses 8, 9 and 10 constituting respectively the exhaust steam I inlet, the air removal outlet and the condensate take-0E. While the condenser illustratedis of the vertical type and will be described hereinafter as such,oit is to be understood that it is not to be restricted to this type but. applies to those of the horizontal type also. ;-The condenser further includes a base section 11 which conforms generally to the configuration ofthe shell 5, and which base section isprovided at its upper end with an outwardly, extending annular flange l2 and at its lower end with a similar outwardly exf tending annular flange 13. The base, section v 11; is provided with a diametrical partition 14:

and'with a radially projecting tubular inlet 0 boss 15 for receiving the circulating water; or coolingfluid. The base section 11 is provided with a diametrically disposed circulating water outletboss l5.- 1 The base'section is-further provided on opposite sides of the-partition 14 with manholes 17 and 18, by virtue of whichaccessmay begained to the interior of I In the construction illustrated in Figuresjl and 2,1an annulus 191is interposed b'etween the flange 7 of the shell and theflange 120i the --:base section 11, and said annulus is of a'widthl to present aninwardly projecting annular- -fiange 20; Obviously in practice, the annu lus 19 will be provided on its opposite sides withgaskets 21 and 22 interposed respectively betweenfthe annulusiand thefianges'land 12.

, The sections", together with the annulus, "are secured together bolts23; The'low'er end 7 of the basesection is closed-by abotto nplate v "pef'i's employdftheop osite ends47 and 48 e hichyh s interposed between its-inner face and the flange 13 a gasket 25. Bolts QtS extend through the bottom plate 24 and. the" I flange '13 andconstituteameans for seouringo'.

'thebottom platetothebase section 11,

The condenser 'further comprises" a remov- 't which includEs 'a fin-edtube sheet 30 a diameten to be freely -rnoved 'ythrough the sh ell'f5 fromits upper or openend toward ts-lower oropposrte end or vice versafij The fiXed-"ttibesh'eet so-is'ofa di'ameterfto reist iuponfor 'partiallyioverl'ap at its outeredge;'tlie' inwardly proj'ecting annu-i l ar flange defined 'by theiannulus'IQ, and

' rigidlysecure-dandisealed thereinthe-tubes saidf tiibe'fsheet has expanded-or otherwise The oppositejends ofinmate 3 ;are expanded" or 'otherwise permanently seca'ired cemmuni'cate'ithrough illustrated Figures 1 -inia" tube"sheet 32whi'ch" constitutes bnewall ofa water box W h' wh'icl'iiallFof"the tubes 2, :the. tube sheet 32 is formed integral with the annularwall or 1 free end 1 is provided ,with an 7 outwardly projecting annular fiange 35', the'outerper'iphf eryefwhichcorrespondsinidiainetersubstam tially toit'h e"diametersofthe end-flange (S ot :the -shell5; :The waterbo' x isprovided vvith facover plate or upper wall 36 which is r'e-L box-in any suitable manner; such'as-byfthe threaded studs 37 which extend throug h openings in' theifouter edge oft-he oover-plate 36 and haveenga'ged thereover'nuts 38 gasket 39 'is' preferabl image's between the, cover p'latean-dthe I ange"35ftoseal the waterbox 33 against leakage; "The cover-plate 36 may i also be'provided with-acentr'ally disposed eye Pea- H un which m y be" readily emplaced in or removed'from the shellofthe condenser with- 456, thej'purp'osefof;which willi hereinafterap- Phis structure obviously}prov-ieles a outrquiringdisconnection of the- -l's he'll and base section gorrdis'conn'ection of'the conduits whichare attached toj the, exhaust steaminlet 8;the airoutlet '9, the'conde'nsate take-0E 10 01 whichiiuts Aasrea p a from within the base sectionll by operatives who gain access thereto through the manholes 17 and 18. Ob-

viously, this fixedly 'connects'the'tube sheet of the unit to the condenser shell. In order to avoid leakage ofthe steam and condensate from the condensing chamber45'while permittingthe watervlbox 33 suflicient movement with respect to" the shell;'5 to compensate for thecontraction'and exp ansionof the tubes31,

afiexible annulus ortube 46 of rubber or copofwhich are secured respectively to the flange 6 of the shelland to the flange of the water box 33. As illustrated, thejends 47 and 48.

are turned outwardlyand clamped between the 'fianges" G and-"35 respectively andiwashers In operatiom itqis, ot coursa apparent that the exhauststearn entersithe "condensingzchama bergthrough the inlet 8 while theicooling orcirculating fluid for watergienters the :base section-[11 through the-"inlet 1 5',isthen'ce flows throughthe tubes 3l'; to the :vvat'er' box "33,,

from {the water IboX 33 to thei base section 11 on the opposite side of the partition "Wfillal and thence-flows 'outwardlyiithrou'gh :theoutand the condens a'te' flows k "or-lis taken: :ofi through itheQ outlet #10 while the fair Inayx be removed through'the air removal boss'l9k; .Gon-

tracti on' an 'cl' expansion; :ofrth'ei tubes.;; 3'1 is compensated" for by relative' 'rnovement between the water box 33 and th'eashell 5': while the flexible tubing 46 serves inthe capacity (at an expansion joint tolprevent the outside; air from leaking into the ishell- 5 when thesame is 'unider vacuum and to Y preventz the steam or condensate from leaking-out when the shell 5 islunderipressurea event repairs tothestube (sheets;

or water box are-necessary .or replacementof the tubesiis .f l lired; operatives enter: th'BibELSG sectioni1'1throughthe-manholes 117 and 1. and remove' thenutsf43 front-the sma h; thereby releasing the fixed tubesheet 30lfl The -bolts 52f arelthenaremoved by; attaching; ahoist cable :A'Ito-the ;eye. tO, it gis 'app arentzithatthe tubes,tube/sheet 30tiand wat'erboxo'33 maybe vvithdrawIt'froni-Hthe; eondense'rsheu asi a; unit t without 'dis'turbingwany -:of:-the shell" bolts or the I steann water; condensatezioriai-r connec tions; In practice, inllarge plants especially, a spare unit or two: ofthis type; will be kept thence through the; remaining set of :Itube's let 'r16..=- iThe- 'steamz is condensed contact v with-the tubes 3lwiin the 'condensinglchaniber v onihandfor anemergencysotthat when a da age'd-amitrrequi-res r epairs,-.it is onlyznece'ssarytoreniove'the damaged un-it andreplace itith the spare unit while repairs are being efiected on said damaged Qbviously, this wi-ll saveconsiderable time due tofthe fact that the condensergjwi-ll;only. be outgof operation for: the lerigthkoftime it requires to rein s V a":damagedtu iit'and replaoe it with a n ewwne-fi- 25:11.;

After a damaged unit has been removed,

the cover plate '36 may be separated from the water box to facilitate the gaining of access to the ends of the tubes in the tube sheet 32. It

7 is also apparent that the tubular packing 46 which allows for the expansion and contrac- 'tion is alwaysin view,where it is subject to I frequent 1nspect10n and convenient when re-, pa rs or replacementthereof are necessary,

without requiring dismantling of the condenser shell. 1. v v j a In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 3, the condenser shell 5a is provided at its lower end with an integral inwardly extending annular flange a, thereby eliminating the separate annulus 19 illustrated in the H first form of the invention. In this instance wardly projecting annular flange 34?) formed 7 I on the wall 34a by meansof threaded studs also, the upper end 56 ofthe condenser shell 1s of slightly larger diameter than the reimainder of the shell and the annular Wall 3 10; of the water box 33a is made as a separate piece from the tube sheet 32a. In this instance, the tube sheet 32ais secured to an in- 3 lcand nutsEAd, a packing 34c being interposed between the flange 34b and the-tube sheet 32a. In all other respects, the construc- ,7 tion and operation ofthe condenser is identical with the other form of the'invention and "1 in eiiect is equivalent tosaid other form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. 1

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. In a surface condenser, a tubular shell body having flanges at its opposite ends, a

fixed section having a closed outer end and a flanged nner end secured to one end of the shell body, an annulus secured between the 4*0 flanged connected ends of the shell body and fixed section and extending radially inward toconstitute an annular seat; and a removable'unit including a fixed tube sheet disposed within and detachably connected with the annular seat to define within the fixed section a'fixed circulating water box, a movable circulating water box disposed within the opposite open end of the shell body for relative axial movement and having an inner wall constituting-a'tube sheet and circulating water tubes permanently sealed-at their opposite ends in the tube sheets.

' 2. In a surface condenser, a tubular shell 1 body having flangesatits oppositeends, a fixed section having a closed outer end and'a flanged inner end secured to one end of the shellbody, an annulus secured between the flanged connected ends of the shell body and fixed section and extending radially inward toconstitute an annular seat; and a removable unit including a fixed tube sheet dis posed within and detachably connected with the annular seat towdefine within the fixed section a fixed circulating water box, a movable circulating water box disposed within the opposite open end of the shell body for 

